There has been a wealth of big-name horror multiplayer games that have been released over the past few years. Dead By Daylight continues to constantly expand its massive list of horrific killers and monsters. Then most recently Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released as a whole new asymmetric multiplayer experience. Now a new challenger has risen with a much more unknown but beloved IP. Killer Klowns from Outer Space from Illfonic looks to bring a unique twist to the asymmetric multiplayer horror genre. I was lucky enough to go hands-on with the title at PAX East this week.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space Is A Hidden Gem Of An IP
Killer Klowns From Outer Space is based on the cult classic horror film from 1988. While the film did not exactly set the world on fire by any means. It has often been revered as one of the best B-horror films of the 1980s. It is certainly an odd choice, as a fan of the film I cannot explain how excited I was when this title was announced.
The premise is simple a handful of players will play as clowns to kill or harvest the Human players. The humans have to focus on completing a variety of tasks to escape the carnival. While it is similar to Dead By Daylight in some ways, the unique style of this IP beautifully separates itself. Chasing 80’s dressed human characters around a carnival while dressed as an insane-looking clown is fantastic.
Clowns Pack A Unique Set Of Skills And Weapons
I got to spend the majority of my time with the game playing one of the clowns. As a clown, I was outfitted with two key weapons. One was a cotton candy blaster that you shoot in a straight energy beam at human characters. When struck by this beam, a new bar will appear beside human characters. If you successfully fill this bar the human will become a ball of cotton candy. As a clown, you can then pick up and carry this ball of cotton candy and hook it up to various machines throughout the map. These machines will spawn minions that will help you in tracking and securing more humans.
The second weapon at your disposal is a popcorn bazooka. It is an important weapon in your arsenal as when you strike a human player with it they will be temporarily marked for all the other clowns on the map. This is a huge advantage for coordination, especially if maybe someone on your team doesn’t have a mic.
The clowns have a handful of useful skills that players can tap into for tracking down human characters as well. My personal favorite is the adorable balloon dog. For 30 seconds you can summon a balloon dog that you can walk on a leash that will show you the general direction of human characters. This is very useful for tracking down those pesky humans who are good at hiding.
Another one of the other unique skill is the clown jump, which allows you to jump into the air and land anywhere on the map. It also gives you a full view of the mini-map to choose where to jump to. This skill can come in clutch when you have a fellow clown chasing a human and you want to intercept.
Balance Is No Laughing Matter
As someone who typically bounces off of these types of multiplayer games. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to pick up and learn the game. After one full round, I felt very acclimated to what I could do as a clown. The round I got to experience felt balanced as well in terms of the no team feeling particularly overpowered. As a clown, you have a ton of skills at your disposal. Many of the abilities come with significant cooldown timers, which means you have to be strategic with your teammates on how you use them.
Human players are naturally faster and more agile than clowns. They also have a wealth of items to use that can slow down or help aid in the escape from a clown pursuing them. Overall, the balancing seems excellent in the demo that I played.
Keeping The Dead Busy
Perhaps one of the best twists in Killer Klowns From Outer Space is a unique mechanic that dead human players can take advantage of. Instead of like in many multiplayer horror games where once you are killed you simply spectate the remaining players. In Killer Klowns From Outer Space, players can participate in mini-games. Most of these games are carnival-themed in nature. When you complete these mini games you can be rewarded with items that you can give to players that are still alive. These items can sometimes help save a player from certain death.
This mechanic helps keep players engaged. Too often when playing these types of multiplayer games, players will disconnect or go AFK after they die. These minigames help keep dead players engaged, while also helping the remaining survivors. It helps keep a round fun and exciting for all players involved.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space Has Killer Potential
While it is always hard to predict how successful a multiplayer title will be. Killer Klowns From Outer Space provides a fun and exciting twist on an established formula. I am very excited to jump into the full game with my friends when it launches on June 4th, 2024. The game will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, with a one-week early access period being awarded to anyone who pre-orders.
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